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*Call to Worship | Hebrews 1:1-3 | Blake Arnoult
God invites and calls us into his presence to worship him.
1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.
*Song of Adoration | 10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord)
We begin by responding with praise to God for who he is and for what he does.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before, O my soul
I’ll worship Your holy name
The sun comes up, it’s a new day dawning
It’s time to sing Your song again
Whatever may pass, and whatever lies before me
Let me be singing when the evening comes
Chorus
You’re rich in love, and You’re slow to anger
Your name is great, and Your heart is kind
For all Your goodness I will keep on singing
Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find
Chorus
And on that day when my strength is failing
The end draws near and my time has come
Still my soul will sing Your praise unending
Ten thousand years and then forevermore
Chorus
// I’ll worship Your holy name //
Music and Lyrics: Jonas Myrin, Matt Redman
*Confession of Faith | Westminster Confession of Faith, Ch.1 Of Holy Scripture
With the church in history we confess a basic statement of what Christians believe.
Although the light of nature, and the works of creation and providence do so far manifest the goodness, wisdom, and power of God, as to leave men unexcusable; yet are they not sufficient to give that knowledge of God, and of his will, which is necessary unto salvation. Therefore it pleased the Lord, at sundry times, and in divers manners, to reveal himself, and to declare that his will unto his church; and afterwards, for the better preserving and propagating of the truth, and for the more sure establishment and comfort of the church against the corruption of the flesh, and the malice of Satan and of the world, to commit the same wholly unto writing: which maketh the Holy Scripture to be most necessary; those former ways of God’s revealing his will unto his people being now ceased.
*Song of Confession | Have Mercy (Psalm 51)
Psalms, hymns, spiritual songs are simply prayers that are sung. We respond in repentance and praise for God’s redemptive work in Christ.
Have mercy on me O God
Remember not my sin
Have mercy O Lord of love
Cleanse me from within
By Your mercy clean my heart
And I’ll proclaim how great Thou art
Deliver me from guilt and shame
And I’ll sing out, “Praise His name”
Wash me and I shall be
Whiter than snow
Mold me and make me whole
All to You I owe
Chorus
/ Let these broken bones rejoice
Give me gladness give me joy
Hide your face from all my sin
Renew this spirit once again /
/ Chorus /
Music and Lyrics: Rivan Bennevendo
Confession of Sin | Psalm 25:6-8
We fight the temptation to hide our sin and instead acknowledge it openly to God, but we do so in light of the grace offered in Jesus.
6 Remember your mercy, O LORD, and your steadfast love,
for they have been from of old.
7 Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
according to your steadfast love remember me,
for the sake of your goodness, O LORD!
8 Good and upright is the LORD;
therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
Assurance of Pardon | 1 Timothy 1:15 | Blake Arnoult
The good news of the gospel is that we are forgiven in Jesus Christ. This assurance is based on God’s words of promise and it is therefore certain.
15 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.
*Song of Response | The Solid Rock
We respond in repentance and praise for God’s redemptive work in Christ.
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
On Christ, the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.
When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace.
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.
Chorus
His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood.
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay.
Chorus
When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh, may I then in Him be found.
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.
/Chorus/
Music and Lyrics: William Batchelder Bradbury, Edward Mote
Prayer of Thanksgiving
We offer our gratitude to God in prayer in response to his gifts and blessings to his people and ask that he make us faithful managers of these gifts.
Song of Thanks | Jesus What A Friend of Sinners
As we offer our prayers so we also offer up our thanks in song.
Jesus! What a friend for sinners!
Jesus! Lover of my soul;
Friends may fail me, foes assail me,
He, my Savior, makes me whole.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!
Hallelujah! What a friend!
Saving, helping, keeping, loving,
He is with me to the end.
Jesus! What a strength in weakness!
Let me hide myself in Him.
Tempted, tried, and sometimes failing,
He, my strength, my victory wins.
Chorus
Jesus! What a help in sorrow!
While the billows o’er me roll,
Even when my heart is breaking,
He, my comfort, helps my soul.
Chorus
Jesus! I do now receive Him,
More than all in Him I find.
He hath granted me forgiveness,
I am His, and He is mine.
Chorus
Music and Lyrics: John Wilbur Chapman, Rowland Prichard
Prayer for Christ’s Church
We lift up our requests to God knowing that he hears us when we pray.
*Reading of Scripture | Mark 4:10-12, 30-34 | Blake Arnoult
God reveals himself and his work and speaks to us his people through his Word.
10 When Jesus was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. 11 And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, 12 so that
“‘they may indeed see but not perceive,
and may indeed hear but not understand,
lest they should turn and be forgiven.’”
30 And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? 31 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, 32 yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”
33 With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it. 34 He did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.
Pastor: The Word of the Lord
People: Thanks be to God
The Preaching of the Word | Blake Arnoult
“Parable Stories of Jesus”
The Gospel of Mark: A Mosaic of Jesus
Pastoral Prayer
Sacrament of Communion
Sacraments are visible signs of the invisible grace of God - what Christ does by his Holy Spirit within us. Communion (also called the Lord’s Supper or the Eucharist), as the distribution of the elements of bread and wine, symbolizes a meal. Communion is a sign of fellowship. That sign signifies more than just the future heavenly fellowship that is to come. The outward sign signifies the inner reality that sinners already experience fellowship with God in the Spirit because of Jesus. Communion is not a meal for good people. It functions as a renewing seal to desperate sinners of that fellowship we have with our holy and gracious God.
You will be invited to come forward. If you are not a Christian we encourage you to spend this time in reflection on what you’ve seen and heard in the worship. Children who have not received their first communion are welcome and encouraged to come forward with their families to witness their partaking. We invite children who are ready to make a public profession of faith in Christ to arrange a meeting with the elders, and thus become “communicants” at the Lord’s Table.
Pastor: The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
Pastor: Lift up your hearts!
People: We lift them up to the Lord.
Pastor: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People: It is right to give him thanks and praise.
Prayer of Thanksgiving and Words of Institution
Pastor: Let us proclaim the mystery of the faith:
People: Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again. Hallelujah!
Pastor: Christ, our Passover, has been sacrificed for us. Hallelujah!
People: Therefore, let us keep the feast.
Pastor: The gifts of God for the people of God.
Please let an usher know if it is difficult for you to come forward. We would be happy to serve you at your seat. All communion bread is gluten-free. All communion wine is made from grape juice.
A communion prayer for those searching for the truth:
Lord Jesus, you claim to be the way, the truth and the life. If what you claim is true, please guide me, teach me, and open to me the reality of who you are. Give me the ability to follow you no matter what it might cost me. Give me an understanding for you that is coherent, convincing, and leads to the life that you promise. Amen.
Communion Song | O Come To The Altar
We celebrate our communion in faith and song.
Are you hurting and broken within
Overwhelmed by the weight of your sin
Jesus is calling
Have you come to the end of yourself
Do you thirst for a drink from the well
Jesus is calling
O come to the altar
The Father’s arms are open wide
Forgiveness was bought with
The precious blood of Jesus Christ
Leave behind your regrets and mistakes
Come today there’s no reason to wait
Jesus is calling
Bring your sorrows and trade them for joy
From the ashes a new life is born
Jesus is calling
/ Chorus /
/ Oh what a Savior
Isn’t He wonderful
Sing alleluia, Christ is risen
Bow down before Him
For He is Lord of all
Sing alleluia, Christ is risen /
/ Chorus /
Bear your cross as you wait for the crown
Tell the world of the treasure you’ve found
Music and Lyrics: Chris Brown, Mack Brock, Steven Furtick, Wade Joye
Departing Song | Whom Shall I Fear (God of Angel Armies)
We begin to end in faith and song.
You hear me when I call, you are my morning song
Though darkness fills the night it cannot hide the light
Whom shall I fear
You crush the enemy underneath my feet
You are my sword and shield though troubles linger still
Whom shall I fear
I know Who goes before me. I know Who stands behind
The God of angel armies is always by my side
The One who reigns forever, He is a friend of mine
The God of angel armies is always by my side
My strength is in Your name. For You alone can save
You will deliver me. Yours is the victory
/ Whom shall I fear /
Chorus
/ And nothing formed against me shall stand
You hold the whole world in Your hands
I'm holding on to Your promises
You are faithful
You are faithful /
Chorus
Music and Lyrics: Horatio Spafford, Philip Bliss
*Benediction | 2 Peter 1:2-3 | Blake Arnoult
God sends us out with his blessing. A benediction is not a prayer. We don’t bow our heads. We lift them up and even lift up our hands to receive his blessing as we are sent out as participants in his mission to the city of man.
2 May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Adult Teaching
Today, October 2, 4-6pm
Join us at the home of Tim and Frances Arnoult on Sunday,
October 2 for the second session of our series!
Youth Teaching
October 23, 11:30am - 1pm
5th-12th graders! Join us at the Erwin home for pizza, fellowship, and teaching by Pastor Blake!
Bible Studies
Weekly on Wednesdays and Thursdays
Women’s Morning Study: Our morning study meets Wednesdays at 9:30am at the Wade home to study Nancy Guthrie’s 8-week series, God Does His Best Work With Empty. It’s not too late to join us!
Women’s Evening Study: Our evening study meets at 7pm on Thursdays for fellowship and study at the Najjar home! We are working through Nancy Guthrie’s 8-week series, God Does His Best Work With Empty. It’s not too late to join us!
Men’s Study:
The men’s study is meeting at 6:30am at the Buffalo Grille on the corner of Voss and Woodway. Come study the word with us!
Children and Youth Sunday School
September 18 - October 23, 9:15-9:45am
Today we began Sunday school for all ages (pre-k too!) before each service! 4th grade and younger will gather in the lobby to learn a song, pray, and hear a lesson from Pastor Blake. Youth will gather upstairs for prayer and a lesson from Amy Kitchel. Parents are encouraged to stay with their children under the age of 5.